O'Neill Senior Center Receives Funding for Medication Assistance Program

The O’Neill Senior Center continues to ensure that their clients remain HIP: Healthy, Independent, and Productive. They were excited to discover that they were awarded a $5,000 grant through the Marietta Community Foundation to provide funding to develop a Medication Assistance Program, which strives to find indigent drug programs to help seniors afford medications and cover the costs of unexpected medical expenses.

Many seniors are in desperate need of immediate medication assistance due to unexpected health issues that result in expensive medications. Limited income also prevents many seniors from affording medication they need to maintain their health. All too often, when they cannot afford the medication they require, they simply go without.

Normally, seniors in need of financial assistance are enrolled in a patient assistance program, and it takes approximately 2-8 weeks for them to be accepted and receive their medication. Going that long without the medication they desperately need can prove fatal.

Thankfully, the O’Neill Senior Center received a grant through the Marietta Community Foundation to begin a Medication Assistance Program. O’Neill partnered with Kroger Pharmacy so that seniors can receive temporary medication during emergencies or financial hardships until they are officially enrolled in a patient assistance program in which they will receive medications regularly.

All clients enrolled in the Medication Assistance Program go through a vetting process by the O’Neill’s Social Service Coordinators, making sure that they are right for the program. Funds provided by the Foundation’s grant are used as a last resort for their clients.

Hillary Foster, an employee of the O’Neill Center, explained that “although this program has recently begun, however, the impact it has already had on seniors in our community is tremendous. We are so grateful for the support from the Marietta Community Foundation on this project.”

The Binkley Charitable Fund and the Bob and Marilyn Schafer Family Fund, as well as the Foundation’s unrestricted funds, provided the finances to allocate the grant to the O’Neill Senior Center. The Marietta Community Foundation is glad to see that seniors in the area are able to stay HIP through this program.